As Sportspeak reported earlier FIFA have not even had the common decency to review the Football Association of Ireland’s request for a place as country 33 in next years World Cup in South Africa. Sportspeak’s Soccer correspondent Daniel “Pitchside” Pitcher has more.

The controversy surrounding Thierry Henry’s handball at the Stade de France now promises to rumble on to next month after FIFA called an extraordinary meeting for December 2nd. The executive committee will meet just two days before the draw for the World Cup Finals is made to discuss what was a horrible month for the world governing body. FIFA president, Sepp Blatter has arranged the meeting in Cape Town to discuss what has been described in a statement this evening as “incidents at the play-offs for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, match control (refereeing) and irregularities in the football betting market” It is understood the Ireland game will not be the only issue raised, but the Egypt game against Algeria will also be discussed. Maybe just maybe this might be an early christmas present for Trap and the boys.

The Football Association of Ireland have confirmed their disappointment that the FFF has refused to accede to its request for a replay, against the wishes of both captains, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, the vast majority of both the French and Irish people, and numerous highly respected figures of world football.

FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said;
“We regret that despite our best efforts for a replay, which would have restored the integrity of the game in front of a world-wide audience, our calls appear to have fallen on deaf ears at the French Football Federation. Without doubt, the credibility of fair-play has been damaged by this incident in front of a world-wide audience. Despite our deep disappointment, we thank our players ,the wonderful Irish fans and the Irish public at large for their support as well as the solidarity of the French people. We will continue to call on FIFA to take action to ensure that such damaging examples of cheating are not allowed to recur.”

 
Love him or loath him the Mayfield messiah Roy Keane is always one who can ignite debate on most subjects -here’s his take on Le Main de Dieu by Thierry Henry AKA The Thief Of St Denis. Keane managed to keep his temper despite a reporters mobile phone going off during the interview-queue the thousand yard stare from the Saipan One.

After the controversy surrounding Wednesday’s play-off in Paris, the Irish players will return to club duty today as they begin the process of recovering from the bitter disappointment of missing-out on a place at the World Cup.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes is confident that Shay Given has the mental toughness to cope with the defeat as the Donegalman will line-up between the posts for today’s big game. City make the short trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the quarter-to-one kick-off.

In the three o’clock kick-offs, Damien Duff is set to return for Fulham’s trip to Birmingham City while Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill says he’ll make a late decision on whether or not Richard Dunne should start for them against Burnley.

Kevin Doyle will have to bounce-back from the Paris result as Wolves visit Chelsea while Kevin Kilbane, Paul McShane and Stephen Hunt will play for Hull against West Ham and Sunderland play host to Arsenal.

In the late kick-off, John O’Shea will be missing for Manchester United’s clash with Everton after picking-up at thigh injury at the Stade de France.

Sportspeak understands that Ireland’s slim hopes of a replay against the French are now dead and buried. As was widely expected the French Football Federation (FFF) has dismissed the Republic of Ireland’s request for a replay of their controversial World Cup play-off game.

The Republic pleaded for the French to offer a rematch after Fifa ruled that the result would stand.
France skipper Thierry Henry, who handled the ball in the build-up to the winning goal, had earlier said a replay would “be the fairest solution”.

But the FFF released a statement ending any hope of the game being replayed.

With the decisive World Cup qualifying tie finely poised at 1-1 in the first half of extra-time, Barcelona striker Henry twice handled a long ball into the area before squaring for William Gallas to bundle home the eventual winner.

“The FFF understands the disappointment and bitterness of the Irish players, management and supporters,The federation never sought to deny the refereeing error which saw the equalising French goal allowed.

At the end of the match and because French football itself has suffered in the past by events of a similar nature, the FFF management expressed their regrets and sympathy to their Irish counterparts. During matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final. As a result, the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed.

The Fifa decision is binding and applies to both federations.”

The controversial goal has led to former Arsenal forward Henry being labelled a “cheat” by parts of the media and suggestions by ex-players and pundits that his reputation would be tainted. “Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa,There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been. It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area. As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision. People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction. It is impossible to be anything other than that. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.”

Henry’s former manager Arsene Wenger echoed the frontman’s thoughts, adding that the incident furthered the case for video technology to be used in future.

“Football accepts that a billion people see it, one guy doesn’t see it, and yet it is the one who prevails. It cannot work,At the game, I saw the referee giving a goal knowing that something was wrong and that is really sad.

“In the end, he gave a goal already knowing that it wasn’t a goal. We cannot accept that in our sport and you have to do something about it. The referee didn’t see it, I can understand that, the linesman didn’t see it, but they couldn’t get any help.

“For the sense of justice it is quite embarrassing to see. I think even France is embarrassed. We didn’t play well at all and we won the game and won the qualification with a goal that was not a goal.”

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also advocated the use of video technology to resolve such issues. “The stance is that Fifa prefers human decision-making rather than technology decision-making and until they change their mind there is nothing you can do about it – you have to convince them, nobody else,” said the Scot.

“It is not a matter of asking every player and manager in the world their opinion because they will all share the same one, as I do myself, that technology can play a part and can help referees in a situation like the other night.”

Following this afternoon’s meeting of its Board of Management, the Football Association of Ireland has called on the French Football Federation, as one of the world’s largest Football Associations, to join with it and the captains of both the French and Irish teams, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, to request a replay from FIFA that would protect the integrity of the game worldwide and the pride of the French national team.

The Board of Management noted the FFF’s statement that it will comply with whatever FIFA decides and welcomed the French team captain’s statement that a replay would be the fairest solution. Lastly, the FAI’s Board of management noted FIFA’s earlier response on the issue and has sent a separate reply to that body.

Irish skipper Robbie Keane has responde to Thierry Henry’s statement which called for FIFA to have the match replayed. Keane, Ireland’s record goalscorer netted the goal in Paris which led to the extra time where Henry committed the act of gamesmanship which has caused so much debate in the sporting world about vested interests dominating sport. the Spurs striker said;”On behalf of the Republic of Ireland players, I would like to thank Thierry Henry for his statement this afternoon that in his opinion a replay would be the fairest option.

As captain of the French team, to make such a statement took courage and honour, and all of us recognise that. As captain of the Republic of Ireland team, I would also be happy for a replay to happen in the interest of fair play so that whichever team qualifies, can do so with their heads held high. We can only hope that the French Football Federation might accept the wishes of both captains in the best interests of the game.”

Roy Keane has broken his silence about the handball which broke the nations’ hearts.

The former skipper, who made 65 appearances for the Republic as a player has his own take on what happened in Paris in the 13th minute of extra time;

“If I’d been there in the dressing room after the game, I wouldn’t be talking about the handball. I’d focus on why the defenders didn’t clear it. They should’ve cleared it. I’d be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry. How can you let the ball bounce in your six-yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goal-side of you? If the ball goes into the six-yard box, where the hell is my goalkeeper? These are skills and lessons you learn as a schoolboy. Ireland had their chances in the two games and they never took them. They had chances at Croke Park and they had chances on Wednesday. They didn’t take them, but it’s the usual FAI reaction – ‘we’ve been robbed, the honesty of the game…’ It’s rubbish.”The Saipan One also pointed out that controversial decisions also went Ireland’s way in the qualifying campaign, not least a harsh penalty award against Georgia which helped them to clinch a 2-1 qualifying win in February.”There was one match against Georgia where Ireland got a penalty and it was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen which changed the whole course of the game. I don’t remember the FAI after the game saying we should give them a replay.”

Keane’s antipathy towards the FAI stems back to the Pacific island of Saipan in 2002 when he was banished from the team’s pre-World Cup training camp, after complaining that the facilities were sub-standard.Keane has never forgiven FAI Chief Delaney for failing to contact him during the incident and misleading the media as to his whereabouts after his controversial exit from the World Cup in 2002 after the row with boss Mick McCarthy over facilities.”People seem to forget what was going on in that World Cup, and that man John Delaney is on about honesty? I wouldn’t take notice of anything that man says. I was one of the players at that World Cup and he didn’t have the courtesy to ring me. I’d been involved with Ireland since I was 15 years of age and that man didn’t have the decency to make a phone call. He could have phoned me, of course he could have. He said he did’nt know where I was- he could have tried ringing my hotel room!!”

The Republic appealed to Fifa after their 2-1 aggregate defeat by France on the basis that the winning goal came after a blatant Thierry Henry handball. Keane said: “They can complain all they want but France are going to the World Cup – get over it. France were there for the taking and Ireland didn’t do it. Same old story. What goes around, comes around”.

Ireland’s favourite turkey Dustin has this afternoon joined Irish supporters outside the French Embassy in Ballsbridge to voice his disgust at Wednesday’s Hand of God goal, which denied Ireland a place in the World Cup in South Africa.

Just under 100 supporters including model Claire Tully protested for an hour in a bid to get French authorities to lend their support to the FAI’s bid to have the World Cup Playoff against France replayed on neutral soil.

The protest was led by Foxrock native Bernard Clyne.

A larger protest is set to take place tomorrow, beginning at Lansdowne Road.

Sportspeak’s Cóilín Duffy reports from outside the French Embassy.